


The Three Failings of a Lonely Knight

by koumorikun



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Character Study, Introspection, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, first time posting, ish?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25505041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koumorikun/pseuds/koumorikun
Summary: The Pure Vessel is sealed, with only their memories and regrets for company. Silent reflection is nothing new to them, and they have all the time in the world for it.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	The Three Failings of a Lonely Knight

The Temple of the Black Egg was a structure that had never been fully understood by the passing crowds that had observed its construction. It had gained small groups of consistent watchers for the first few days, but those quickly dwindled when it became evident that no explanation of its purpose would be given by the powers that be. The entrance, fashioned into a face vaguely resembling a bug, exuded an energy that bade the masses to keep away. Not that they minded much, as they had much more pressing, important matters on their minds. Who didn’t, in these days?

This mystique had led to quite a clamor when, not a few days after the work crews dressed in the Royal white had stopped appearing each day, every person whose name was known throughout the kingdom gathered in front of the entrance. The great knights, who looked significantly worse for wear than the various statues around the kingdom depicted them, stood back, allowing their King, in all his bright shining glory, to speak to the gathered crowd. No flyers or announcements of any kind had announced this event, but the front of the temple had been dressed appropriately for an occasion that the King deigned to appear at, as if he, in his infinite wisdom, had foreseen this.

He spoke grandly, of triumph, of victory, of an end to the damned plague had wounded his eternal kingdom for so long. Then, he gestured to a knight, dressed in pale, gleaming armor, who the masses had never seen before, and said that this, his perfect creation, his Pure Vessel, would be their salvation. After his speech, the knight turned wordlessly, and entered the temple.

No one saw their hands trembling slightly.

____

The Pure Vessel looked solemnly at the closing door, and knew that they had failed. No, they had known earlier than that. Had it been when they were strung up by chains attached to the loops in their pauldrons, like a slab of meat at the market? When the Pale King had roused them from their last, dreamless sleep, saying that they would finally fulfill their fated duty?. No, they had known far earlier.

If they focused, dug up what they had repressed in the depth of their soul, they could see, feel flashes of the moment.

____

They had reached the top, that shining point that had been the subject of unheard whispers between the Siblings. None of them had known what was at the top, other than it was their duty to reach it. They had to reach it. It had led the more headstrong of their numbers to throw themselves, brazenly, into the climb, their receding forms being the last the others saw of them before they tumbled back down to the bottom of the pit, their shells cracking against the ground. The more caution of their numbers had taken their time, planning their routes, but they, too, fell. 

But what their siblings had died to reach, they had obtained.

The Pale Light.

It stood before them, Shining brilliantly, bright as the lights of their siblings' eyes. A bug, a God, towered over them, and looked at them with a gaze that could freeze the very Void they came from over. Despite this, they felt nothing, no fear or apprehension. The Light’s eyes narrowed, and he looked over his creation, as if judging it. He finished his observations, and said

“No mind to think,

No will to break,

No voice to cry suffering,

Born of God and Void,

You shall seal the blinding light that plagues their dreams. 

You are the Vessel.

You are the Hollow Knight.”

He paused, expression softening almost imperceptibly, and said, “Come, Vessel. There is much to do.”

With that, he turned and left, his footsteps silent against the metal. The Vessel began to follow, but then, faintly, they heard a sound behind them. They turned, and looked. One of the others had made it to the Light as well. The Vessel remembered this one. It had been the runt of their clutch, weaker than the other, with thinner, fragile horns. Yet, despite this, they had made the same dangerous ascension as the Vessel. The other reached out for help, their grip failing, but they received none, falling, to the same fate as the Siblings before had.

The Vessel lingered a moment, an unfamiliar churning of their void making them hesitate to follow the Light. It didn’t last long however, and they soon set off, away from their birthplace, from the bright, watching eyes of the Siblings.

____

That had been their first failure, the Pure Vessel remembered now.

That had been pity.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hi! i have the rest of this planned out, and it was supposed to be a ~3,000 word one shot, but i couldnt get it to flow how i wanted. the rest will be up over the next few days, if you (god forbid) want more.
> 
> fun fact: this is the first creative writing ive done since 7th grade, and im waaaay past 7th grade. and also the first creative writing ive done because i wanted to since i was like 5. pls leave a comment to inflate my ego.


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